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dluckarchivist.bsky.social
David Luck
@dluckarchivist.bsky.social
290 followers 340 following 250 posts
Archivist at Bethlem Museum of the Mind, London, UK. Singalonglong to the gateway song. All poorly thought out views his own, don't blame his peers/employers. Contact at 'archives' on https://tinyurl.com/58tkxrb7

He/him.
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dluckarchivist.bsky.social
Ah, the Magnificent Seven. Absolute horseshit, but brilliantly made horseshit that gets me every damn time.
January 24, 2026 at 9:14 PM
dluckarchivist.bsky.social
Yes, this is a big point! Thank you Teresa.
dohertyta.bsky.social Teresa Doherty @dohertyta.bsky.social · 1d
Arrrgh AI writing our histories- if there are gaps in our stories AI will make things up, and it will increase the invisibility of ‘other stories - women, disabled, global majority….

Thanks for the thread 🙏
January 23, 2026 at 8:52 AM
dluckarchivist.bsky.social
So, part of my job is to see what people are making of the history of our Hospital.

Bethlem partly exists in the gothic, horror-adjacent end of history, and so attracts a certain kind of presentation.

Restraints, gore, electrodes, I thought I'd seen it all. Until...

...I stumbled onto this book.
Front cover of 'Bethlem Hospital: A History of Care and Control' by Evelyn Cross. The image shows a Victorian (?) institution viewed through open gates. Two statues stand on the gate posts
January 22, 2026 at 8:23 PM
dluckarchivist.bsky.social
Hmm, I wonder if anyone has ever asked them about the Aylesbury tunnels?
bucksarchives.bsky.social Buckinghamshire Archives @bucksarchives.bsky.social · 2d
Let's talk about the Aylesbury tunnels.
January 22, 2026 at 2:18 PM
dluckarchivist.bsky.social
The first half of this was the funniest thing I've read this week (the governance shenanigans are amazing), but by the end it's clear that this is actually about the tragedy of a bunch of ideologues* totally failing to care properly for the young people in their charge.

* Other words are available
ositanwanevu.com Osita Nwanevu @ositanwanevu.com · 8d
Apropos of nothing, let's check in with how things are going at Bari Weiss's free speech university. www.politico.com/news/magazin...
Most people didn’t think much of it when the university dean, Ben Crocker, called a student named Dan into his office on Monday, Sept. 9, the first day of classes. But at 7:44 in the evening, they received an email from three administrators saying that Dan had been removed from campus, “transported to his home out of state,” and barred from further access to the university. The nature of the allegations concerned, at their core, a pair of charged statements Dan allegedly made that would be familiar to any Title IX officer. The first was a general statement implying that UATX girls carried themselves physically in a way that invited sexual assault. The second was a suggestion to a specific female student that she had carried herself in a way that invited sexual assault. Dan had already been the subject of some negative attention on campus because of provocative statements he’d made in a UATX-based Discord “introductions” chat. These included a challenge — “If I catch any of you guys in my stuff, I’ll kill you” — which was a reference to the 1981 movie “Stripes” and likely misunderstood by fellow students. In another exchange, a discussion of transgender issues, Dan expressed reservations about hormone treatment and said that he couldn’t wait “to play devil’s advocate for legalizing pedophilia.” Between 8:30 and 9:00 p.m., Crocker visited the dorms, where he hosted a meeting on the roof to discuss the issue with students. Crocker’s message was that Dan’s conduct had been evaluated to be a “credible threat” — a phrase that would be repeated by the administration many times over the following days. Crocker then faced what one student attendee recalled as a “firing squad” of questions. Some students said that Dan had seemed off, but others saw his hasty removal as an example of the very cancel culture to which UATX was supposed to be the antithesis. Several students noted a lack of diversity. Consistent with its emphasis on “merit-based admissions,” UATX doesn’t publish demographic data. The students with whom I spoke said their classmates — and the college’s leadership — were overwhelmingly white, disproportionately came from wealthy families and had an overrepresentation of apparent neurodivergence. They found ideological diversity to be particularly lacking. “I didn’t realize exactly how conservative it would be,” one current student told me. “You know, when I hear free speech and open debate and all that jazz, I assumed that there was going to be a more equal amount of political views, and there wasn’t.” Classes weren’t as innovative as most students expected. “Year one was exceptionally boring,” the student said. “They did great books, they just didn’t do it in a great way,” said another student, who lamented the amount of memorization required. “I thought we were going to be intensely debating,” he said. Several students shared course syllabi with me. Most are easy enough to imagine being offered on any campus — with the notable exception of math and science. “The math classes go over algebra you learned in ninth grade,” a student told me. “There was just nothing there.” He described the offering as “schizophrenic” and described a class he’d taken at University of Texas at Austin as “exponentially more important.” Indeed, the syllabus I reviewed for a class called “Intellectual Foundations of Science II” covered a range of topics unusual for a science class including “The Language of God: A Scientist Presents Evidence for Belief.” A student who’d taken the course shared a slide with me on “ensoulment” — the principally religious question of when a soul enters the human body — and said that the class had been told that IVF but not abortion could be consistent with the Catholic belief about ensoulment. The poor quality of the science offerings had bothered Heying and Pinker. “Others thought I was the token liberal,” Heying told me, “but I came to understand myself as the token scientist.” In an email, Pinker wrote, “They should have hired a widely esteemed scientist and proven program builder to set up their science division.” Another surprising similarity with other colleges stemmed directly from Dan’s expulsion: The students feared cancellation. “At any moment a frivolous Title IX complaint could be filed against you,” a former student told me. “I’ve never felt my speech was so chilled as it was in the classroom at UATX.” During the many conversations I had reporting this story, two questions came up more than any other. The first: Where was Bari Weiss? Many of the people I interviewed told me about internal conversations and shared internal emails. Weiss, who remains on the board of trustees, was almost never present in the conversations as they were related to me, and while I saw many emails on which Kanelos and Ferguson were copied, I never saw any including Weiss. speaks onstage during an event in New York City, on Nov. 19, 2024. | Noam Galai/Getty Images for The Free Press One person I spoke to, who was present during the early planning stages, told me that Weiss was “very elusive” and almost never present in person. This was ironic since UATX was closely associated with Weiss — a bust of whom now resides in the school library. Weiss, meanwhile, has only risen further during the Trump 2.0 era and is now editor-in-chief of CBS News, where she has been criticized as genuflecting to the Trump administration. A spokesperson for CBS News did not respond to a request for comment from Weiss. One former member of the development team told me that they would routinely ask prospective donors how they got to know UATX. “Eighty percent of the time, the answer was Bari Weiss,” they said. “It was very often referred to as Bari Weiss’ University, or Bari Weiss’ University Project, or Bari Weiss’ University of Austin.” For several people, this was a source of resentment. “I don’t care whether she wants to pretend this is all gone now — she is the reason that this place exists. She was huge, she was held in such high regard, she had such an enormous impact,” the former staffer said. “I want her to be held to account,” she added. “I’m pissed.”
January 17, 2026 at 9:38 AM
dluckarchivist.bsky.social
This obviously flies in the face of my reading of the two Taytos, which is one of irreconcilable difference and entrenched hostility entirely incomprehensible to outsiders (like me).
eleanormorton.bsky.social Eleanor Morton @eleanormorton.bsky.social · 9d
To walk you through my proposal for the new flag of Northern Ireland:
Colour: Hot Pink (classy, not associated with any religion)
Cup of tea: Symbol of a united Ireland
The Two Tatos: Opposite sides working in harmony
Nadine Coyle: Patron Saint of Northern Ireland
Motto: What date did I just say?!?
January 15, 2026 at 3:40 PM
Reposted by David Luck
cartivist.bsky.social
Come & work with me! Senior Archivist (Military Records Project) at The National Archives (UK). £39.5k pa. Apply by Sunday 25 January. #ArchivesJobs
www.civilservicejobs.service.gov.uk/csr/jobs.cgi...
January 12, 2026 at 5:08 PM
Reposted by David Luck
bethlemmuseum.bsky.social
🖼️ It's the last Saturday of the Bethlem Art Fair! There's still loads of gorgeous, one-of-a-kind, affordable art to be found: from sculpture to greetings cards, pottery to oil painting. Don't miss out!

Open 9:30-5pm - entry is free

#affordableart #bethlemmuseumofthemind Bethlem Gallery
January 10, 2026 at 8:35 AM
dluckarchivist.bsky.social
Well, Matt certainly graduated from 'oh, who's he? The other Irish one?' in this episode.
Matt from Traitors in a chapel looking up with a surprised look on his face, an unfortunate still taken from a TV screen.
January 9, 2026 at 9:20 PM
Reposted by David Luck
drlindseyfitz.bsky.social
I highly recommend @drsoandsoresearch.bsky.social - she transcribed the diary of Joseph Bell for me while I was writing SLEUTH-HOUND. I think she's the only person in the world who can read his atrocious handwriting! She's a brilliant researcher, and she just passed her viva (congrats, Dr. So!)
drsoandsoresearch.bsky.social Kate So @drsoandsoresearch.bsky.social · 16d
My largest freelance project has come to an end so I am opening my books for this year. I am a historian and heritage professional who collaborates with best-selling authors, award-winning TV production companies, and awe-inspiring venues. Need some research/fact checking/interpretation? 🙋‍♀️📚
drsoandso.co.uk
Explore expert historical consultancy services specializing in health humanities and medical history for engaging historical interpretation.
drsoandso.co.uk
January 8, 2026 at 2:18 PM
Reposted by David Luck
daneanne.bsky.social
We're looking for a Level 3 Library, Information and Archives Services Assistant Apprentice to join the @newsukarchives.bsky.social team.
Details here: www.newscareers.co.uk/vacancies/41...
Please share with anyone who might be interested.
News Archives Apprentice | News UK
News Archives Apprentice Length: 24 month FTC Start Date: March 2026 Location: Rainham, Essex (Easter Industrial Park, Ferry Lane) Your Team: The News UK archives can lay c...
www.newscareers.co.uk
January 7, 2026 at 11:24 AM
Reposted by David Luck
byekitty.bsky.social
any UK archive friends interested in a small archive-adjacent project? paid and entirely remote. DM me
January 6, 2026 at 1:20 PM
dluckarchivist.bsky.social
BBC running Ripper-adjacent Victorian murder mystery doc followed by a Titanic sinking reconstruction in one evening?

Thoughts and prayers for my colleagues manning the enquiry services out there, it'll be a week.
January 5, 2026 at 11:24 PM
Reposted by David Luck
oliverhouse.bsky.social
‘Warm Spaces have also been set up again across the capital in libraries, churches and community spaces for people to get a hot drink and stay in the warmth during the day time.’ #libraries #homelessness
Extra help for London's homeless as temperatures plummet
London's severe weather emergency protocol is activated as temperatures drop to freezing and below.
www.bbc.co.uk
January 3, 2026 at 8:13 PM
Reposted by David Luck
bethlemmuseum.bsky.social
Only ONE week left to explore the Bethlem Art Fair! 🎨🖼️
Discover unique, affordable pieces and take home something truly special. Don’t miss out! Open today 9:30am-5pm.
#bethlemgallery #bethlemartfair Bethlem Gallery #affordableart
January 3, 2026 at 8:30 AM
Reposted by David Luck
london.gov.uk
Severe Weather Emergency Protocol activated in London ❄️

The temperature is due to drop below freezing tonight, and emergency accommodation is open across the capital for those sleeping rough.

If you are sleeping rough or know someone who is, connect to support via StreetLink

thestreetlink.org.uk
StreetLink - Connecting people sleeping rough to local services
Welcome to StreetLink. Make an alert if you've seen someone sleeping rough, or if you're sleeping rough and want to find out about local support services.
thestreetlink.org.uk
January 2, 2026 at 11:37 AM
Reposted by David Luck
dreadships.bsky.social
Just been reminded - through pretty shit family circumstances - that seven years ago I spent New Year's Eve with my dying grandmother. My sister and mother were measuring out drugs for a future that likely wouldn't come. I was on tea duty.

It was a great night.

We laughed.

We cried.
December 31, 2025 at 10:40 PM
dluckarchivist.bsky.social
My in-laws are Northern Ireland Catholic, and they regard this real-time validation of everything Republican politics has ever said about the UK both as extremely validating (for them) and a bit strange (in it's strategic stupidity).
lottelydia.bsky.social Charlotte Lydia Riley @lottelydia.bsky.social · 26d
*pinches bridge of nose* Tom can you just tell me the full name of the UK real quick
abradacabla.bsky.social Danielle Blake @abradacabla.bsky.social · 26d
Maybe Brits’ energy prices are going up so much because the suppliers are having to spend a fortune fixing gas leaks in right-wing houses.
December 29, 2025 at 10:13 PM
dluckarchivist.bsky.social
I love it when the guys doing the work on the material I look after understand the issues around it.
davehitchcock.bsky.social Dr Dave Hitchcock @davehitchcock.bsky.social · 29d
Indeed, plus how much of 'the archive' will never BE digitised. We cope as a profession with constant massive "data loss" all the time and that's purely in analogue terms. Imagining that today the digital can capture the historical is utter nonsense. This is likely the case for many decades to come.
disabilitystor1.bsky.social Aparna Nair @disabilitystor1.bsky.social · 29d
Im pretty sure they neither know nor care how much of the global historical record is not digitized
December 26, 2025 at 5:05 PM
Reposted by David Luck
sophiemhistory.bsky.social
How do we feel about licensing our databases so FMP/Ancestry can paywall them?

I did a lot of work for FreeBMD before I ever went pro…
December 26, 2025 at 10:21 AM
Reposted by David Luck
5ftmunchkin.bsky.social
In case Christmas isn't a happy time for you or someone you know. Please share
A list of mental health helplines
December 24, 2025 at 7:14 PM
Reposted by David Luck
byekitty.bsky.social
are you bored at Christmas? want an opportunity to escape from your relatives because you are Making Valuable Contributions to Scholarship?

can I interest you in looking at (labelled!) slides from the early 20th century, architecture and archaeology? all I need you to do is write down the label.
December 23, 2025 at 2:57 PM
dluckarchivist.bsky.social
Reading a report that states that 'survey respondents reported frustration that innovation is frequently equated with technology alone' and yet has so far mentioned AI on every single one of its pages up till then.

How long till Christmas?
December 19, 2025 at 4:57 PM
Reposted by David Luck
riacheyne.bsky.social
Organising an event? Build in adequate breaks and PROTECT THE BREAKS. #1000SmallThings for a more inclusive HE
riacheyne.bsky.social Ria Cheyne @riacheyne.bsky.social · Jan 18
In a talk a couple of years ago, I said that creating a better/fairer/more inclusive HE system isn't only about making big changes. It's also about doing small, everyday things, and how these accumulate. I'm going to post some of these using #1000SmallThings - feel free to add your own #AcademicSky
June 20, 2025 at 6:58 AM
dluckarchivist.bsky.social
There was a really interesting thread about archive accessibility on here a few months back. Pre-FoI this sort of requirement was not untypical in Britain though, and given the trajectory of politics this sort of thing may yet return

Hope someone can help William- maybe @willdalrymple.bsky.social
williamcarruthers.bsky.social William Carruthers @williamcarruthers.bsky.social · Dec 16
Can anyone who has used the National Archives of India recently explain what current entry requirements are? They seem to have changed from getting a letter of introduction from your consulate and institution to getting a 'character certificate': nationalarchives.nic.in/research-and...
December 16, 2025 at 12:00 PM